General Chat

Good morning

Intermittent sunshine and cloud today, but rain forecast for later again. I think the wind has dropped a bit but there is still a stiff breeze and it’s only 7 degrees; a bit of a change from the weekend when it reached 20 here. The nights have got cold again as well.

I’ve just booked our next Covid jabs at our local surgery. Normally they let us know they are booking vaccinations but I hadn’t heard so rang the main surgery to ask if they were doing them and the receptionist gave me the earliest available booking which is next Wednesday.

AnnG, I don’t have your problems with using the phone but with businesses and trades people I prefer to email anyway. Then you always have something in writing. You wondered if the possibility of a Club name change had come up before. It gets mentioned at every single AGM and everyone says they will think about it and it just blows over till the next AGM. This time someone has written a letter about it to the Chairman so it’s got to be taken more seriously. It’s funny you should mention insurance. I did look into that yonks ago when I first became secretary and at the time was told we didn’t need it as we hired premises so their public liability should cover us if, for instance, someone slipped over and was injured. We also didn’t sell or give food or drink to the general public. However I am sure rules have changed a lot over the years and, as it happened, the chairman said to me on Monday that she thought we should have insurance of some sort so I hope the committee will look at it again. The money issue isn’t a problem – that is all written into the Constitution right down to what will happen to any funds left if the Club closes. I am trying not to get too involved but seem to be getting drawn in more and more.

My vacuum cleaner is working fine this morning so washing the filter seems to have done the trick, but I can’t understand why it wasn’t flashing “Filter” as normal if that was the problem. This is my cordless vac but I do still have my old plug-in Dyson that I can use. I just find it so heavy and I don’t like using it on the stairs. I don’t really feel safe with it.

As it’s a 20 mile drive and you can never be sure where there are road closures or roadworks we always leave plenty of time to get to hospital appointments. Although we had rain on the way, yesterday we had a clear run so I was early for my appointment. I was called in more or less straight away, had all the usual sight tests, pressure tests and scans and all done by the same very good nurse so it was only one attempt to scan each eye, not the 5 it took the dozy dilly last time. The nurse then said she would show me where to sit to be called for the photos. By the time I’d taken in what she said and asked what photos she was gone. After a couple of minutes I was called in and said to the lady at the machine that I don’t usually have photos done, I normally go in to see the doctor next. She then said the doctor wanted some special pictures of the back of my eye. These were done and she said I could go home now. The doctor would look at everything and then ring or write to me. It was not very satisfying as I was left with no idea of the state of my eye or how long it would be before I heard. However, this morning I got an email from the eye dept at the hospital giving me another appointment in 8 weeks, so I assume it’s stable but he still wants to keep a check on it.

I’ve written quite a lot again and must go and prompt OH to do his duty and get lunch. I want it a bit earlier than usual as we have been invited to a friend’s for a cuppa this afternoon and she is expecting us at 2.30 pm.

I don't ring anyone (ever if I can help it). I email Jake or message him on Next Door site. He contacts me via email or Next door. His Dad I think owns the parent company and Jake is branching out on his own with his Dad working for him (and advising him).. He has explained all this to me. His partner contacts me via the next Door site.

Morning Anng and all,

lovely bright morning again and its 7 degrees at the momemnent and pc says sunny.

Anng who is it you ring when you want Jake and dad? If it is Jake perhaps dad just comes with him to work or maybe it is actually dad who owns the business. When you say te BOYS have gone to Spain do you mean him and his dad? or has Jake gone with friends? I wondeer if it is soemthing like you say.

good morning all bright so far but only 4 degrees so a bit chilly
Nothing planned for this morning but being picked up at 1320 to go to the U3a monthly meeting I think the talk is on micro paintings.

Ann I think with Jake, he is a good worker but a bad manager. (No excuse when dealing with customers I know). He is also, although he would like me to think otherwise) organised by his Dad and they always work together. His Dad does the complicated work. Can't quite put my finger on it, it is as if his Dad is training him. He always leaves Dad in the truck when he is discussing jobs, then calls him in when things are arranged. I suppose he is like a big kid really. He is always willing, always cheerful. And usually gets more than the agreed work done. Just a bit disorganised in his life I think.

I actually wonder if he is on the Autism spectrum in some way. Anyway I can't do anything until they return in 10 days now.

Oh there's no excuse for Jake not letting you know he was going away AnnG, especially for 10 days. That's very poor. He could have used his partner's phone to let you know. I would be cross too. I hope he gets in touch as soon as he's back.

Vera it's sad we keep losing friends isn't it. I remember saying to OH when his dad was in his 90s that so many people he knew once must have passed away and now it's happening to us. :-( I hope you manage to find the blockage and fix your hoover. I sometimes think I should have a spare!

Well the meeting seems to have uncovered shortcomings in the paperwork which isn't that surprising with a small group. It's not helpful when people start talking across each other and only want to keep voicing their own opinion is it. It's the Chairperson's job to nip these things in the bud and direct a meeting. OH often comes home rolling his eyes after meetings as the way a lot of meetings are run are apalling and way below the standards of meetings we had at work over 20 years ago. The research into it will hopefully make the decision about it easy at the next meeting. I had to smile at the instigator falling asleep till his wife woke him at home time!

We both went out to do a bit of weeding and pruning for about 20 minutes and both had had enough then with our backs and my knees hurting. Neither of us feel our muscles are as strong anymore, our tummies are bigger and we get out of puff so easily. I stand back and look at what is a fairly small garden I used to manage on my own easily and it's so frustrating finding the effort required isn't worth the pleasure I get out of it now. As some of the shrubs have outgrown their space or are leggy now, a complete rethink with less soil and more features would be better for us now. It didn't help that with my leather gloves on I didn't feel and managed to drop my secateurs in the big garden bin with a humper full of prunings and weeds on top.

An early start into the city at peak hour tomorrow to take OH's car in or the latest update.

Thanks Vera.
Yes Mel they deserve a holiday but since starting his business he has had two weeks at least off with his injured hand and three weeks off sick with some sort of cold or flu and in the circumstances he should have let me know what he was doing. That is why I am cross with him. To say nothing about the fact in error he threw my broom onto his truck when clearing up the last time they were here. And I don’t have another one.

Well Vera you made me laugh at the bloke falling asleep through the meeting about the change of name as he was the first one to bring it up. I think this all needs to be looked into at a further date when you can get the right people there who will listen and not all talk over one another but hark to what others have to say.

Anng its probably the best time for 'the Boy' to have a break as with the good weather coming they will be busy right through the spring and summer. I know my dad who was a builder and decortor alway had his holidays in April May or September those being the quietist times work wise.

Suns still out and shining well here and I have just remembered I have washing in the machine waiting to go since early this morning. We still have a strongish breeze and its 10 degrees and been dry all day, sorry Vera.

Sorry to hear that you have lost another friend Vera. sounds like a frustrating day so far so hope all goes well with your eyes.

The meeting sounded as if the discussion re name change has not ever been held before? Or, if it has, nobody has taken in the fact that your group is an official not a casual group and,as such, probably handles money. And that means having things tied up so nothing can go wrong. Who has liability? that must be written into the constitution. I assume there is some sort of insurance liability? all needs to be sorted if there is a name change. Hope somebody can work it all out.

That's unbelievable AnnG. He won't keep many customers like that. I am cross for you.

I am so cross! You remember Jake couldn't come to do the painting last week because it rained. I have been trying to phone him but getting no reply (to find out when he will come and do the work). I have just had a message from his partner, to say 'the boys' are in Spain and will be back in 10 days. What a way to run a business. At the very least he could have let me know he was going away. Oh and he has not had a phone for a week as he dropped it from a tree working in Cheltenham. (I guess when he could have been painting my bench.)

It's not a very nice day here again; not so much heavy rain as yesterday but showers on and off, with grey skies and fairly strong winds.

I slept fairly well but everything's gone downhill since then. I had just made myself a steaming bowl of porridge when the phone rang. It was a call to tell me that someone else we know had sadly died yesterday. We talked for quite a while so by the time I got back to my porridge it had gone cold and solidified. Not very nice.

Then I thought I'd better get going with some h/w, hoovered a couple of rooms and started on the stairs. The vacuum cleaner kept stopping and starting and then the symbol for a blockage started flashing. Well, I dismantled the machine as much as I could and couldn't find any blockage anywhere so if there is one it must be right inside where I can't get to it. I decided to clean the filter while I was at it and now that is drying.

OH was in a mood because he couldn't get the new landline phones he bought to operate the way he wanted and, as we needed our main meal at lunchtime today, I had to fit in cooking meat, pots and two veg.

To finish my day off well I have a late appointment at the hospital for another check on my eyes, which is why we needed dinner at lunchtime. I can't usually see properly for a while after we get back and, if we're not back till 7 pm or later I won't feel like cooking or eating out. Isn't life fun!

Last night's meeting at the club was interesting. We started off with the speaker who had been booked a long while ago. He was talking about Iceland and he was very good. He spoke clearly, was enthusiastic and very entertaining and showed lots of beautiful slides. Then we had a cuppa and a biscuit and got down to business.

The chairman, a lady, asked if people wanted to discuss the motion to change the name further or just go for a straight vote so I said my bit about what is involved in a name change. One chap thanked me and said he hadn't realised it was so complex and we ought to think more about whether we would gain enough to make the work worthwhile. There was then a fair bit of discussion back and forth, not too heated but most people not really listening to anybody else's viewpoint. In the end it was left that the chairman would speak to the banks (there are 2 accounts) and try and find out just what is involved in getting the account changed and will report back.

I had a word with the chairman afterwards and discovered she has never even seen a copy of the Constitution. When she took on the position the previous chairman passed hardly any paperwork over. Perhaps that chairman had never had it herself from the one previous to her. So I'll give her a copy of mine. We are a small, informal group but sometimes you can be a bit too casual about these things.

Oh, and guess what was the most exasperating or funny thing, depending on your sense of humour.(I found it quite funny). The man who is adamant about changing the name and who started the whole thing off slept through the entire discussion!!! His wife nudged him awake in time to go home. :-D

Forgot to mention we won a bottle of Bailey's in the raffle which was good, even though neither of us drink Bailey's.

Afternoon all,

Well what a miserable day its been raining here all morning and it feels like winter it's really cold and still windy .

Thanks for the knitting pattern Ann I'll go it a go .
Yes everywhere is really beginning to look lovely and green we can see a difference in the trees, since yesterday there's lot of leaves that have opened on the trees .
I like the beech trees their leaves look a lovely fresh bright green .

Vera could you have picked that verruca up from the chiropodist, they can be really painful , I know son had one when he was at school and it took ages to go .

Right I'm going to put a cardi on my arms are chilly ,don't think it will be long before we light the fire .

Morning All,

No dreams here, but I was still awake at 3.00am so there wasn't much time for dreaming. It's 10 degrees here now and rain expected this afternoon, but at the moment it's sunny and nice, but a bit breezy.

The window cleaner's been and I'm expecting a parcel delivery so need to stick around until it's delivered.

We nipped out to the shop for my magazine and some fruit earlier and like Mandy said everywhere is getting greener by the day and I noticed some of the Hawthorn has buds ready to burst already. The Cherry trees in gardens look really pretty now as well. The shop seems to keep reducing the staff and some of the helpful, cheerful ones that would always smile and say hello and automatically pack your shopping have gone. Some of the new younger ones seem to pay more attention to their phones than customers and barely break a smile.

A bit of HW next and get our salad lunch and maybe a short stint in the garden before it rains.

Good morning all. bright and sunny here at the moment and 8 degrees and, as far as I can see, no wind. Last night before I went to bed, I looked out of an upstairs window and my ordinary waste bin (Which is rarely very heavy) has been blown - still upright- across the pavement towards the road so I had to go down and go out and pull it back onto the drive. I didn't want it blowing over in the night.

I slept well, I (as usual) had a dream that I can only partially remember. I was away somewhere on holiday staying in the same place as someone I seemed to not normally be friendly with (no clue who it was) and her family and chatting away. don't know where, don't know who, and I was on my own.

Morning all,

Grey skies 8 degrees and pc says partly sunny. I think the winds dropped a bit as I can't see the trees moving much.

Shopping comes today so I better get in the shower so I am ready. Slept like a log and had a dream about going to a beach but thats all I remember.

OH just interrupted me again and I lost my post! AAAgghh!

Yes I'll email the pattern tomorrow Mandy now I know you'd like to see it. If you like it you will have it then if you do decide to do a budgie! I see you are still keeping busy making some crochet animals. Will we be able to see them?

I did the same years ago Mel. I'd clean all through the bungalow on a Saturday morning and go shopping in the city in the afternoon and often go out in the evening as well. It would take me a week to do all that now! Yes Vera's right about not wanting to go back and finish a job as you say.

Forgot to say that if anyone is interested theres also a program on tonight about a new dig at Pompii at 9pm BBC2. Also Springtime onthe farm so you know what I will be watching tonight.

We had a very heavy slety rain shower this afternoon and then the sun came out again but the winds been so gusty and strong today and very chilly with it. Its been blowing all day.

Vera I hope you are going to tell them all tthat you told us about changing the name of the club. Perhaps they don't realise how many things have to change if they want to rename it.

I an't see where Robbies nest is because he flies into the box hedge but I have also seen him fly into the first apple tree in the orchard on the left which has a lot of ivy in it and a small flowered Clematis so it very bushy.

No I have not seen the Heron again thank goodness. I think he realised he was'nt going to get his feet in the water to spear my fish as its netted o the top and sides.

Mandy there's been a program on Channel 5 about air friers too and I saw the Jamie one was on but he cooks lots of peppers and thing that don'e agree with me and when you are cooking for one its hard toget things right. Also I have the problem of having only one plug that the fryer will reach. Not got enough plugs in the kitchen.

I remember when my son was young I used to go through the whole bungalow in the morning and go shopping in the afternoon. No chance of that now and like Vera said I too start a job and have a rest and don't want to go back to it so it gets left.

Sweet and sour chicken tonight with egg fried rice so nice and easy as it a meal for one for the micro. I bought it in Lidl to see what it was like.

Ann could you not take a picture of the knitting pattern and send it to Mandy?

I meant to say Jamie Oliver is on tonight at eight o'clock on channel 4 and he's doing air fryer recipes .

It's a lovely sunny evening now but still very windy.
Ann I don't have the ww every week now so missed the one with the budgies in but they sound like they might be a nice one to have a go at .
I've been doing a bit of crochet ,just little things like little elephants ,owls and octopus and as I haven't been on my feet doing much I can't sit and fo nothing so I've been using up some oddments of wool , there's some nice patterns on u tube .

Vera it seems more trouble than its worth with them trying to change the club name,especially if its going to cost the club money to do it ,hope it can be sorted out without any arguments.

Its a nice feeling Anng when you've finished a room and irs nice and clean ,hope you haven't had to much rain on your nice clean windows .

Mel I keep meaning to ask if the Heron is still about .